Concert & Community Brass Band Hire

Concerts, galas, shows and community celebrations across the North East.

Concerts & Community

Live Brass for Every Kind of Gathering

From a formal concert to a village gala, Backworth Colliery Band brings the full sound of a North East colliery band to the occasion. Brass bands are often thought to play only loud music and marches; in fact the band’s repertoire runs from film music and musicals to Geordie favourites, hymns and the great brass band classics.

The band is based in Backworth, North Tyneside, and plays across Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland and County Durham. Its reputation, as a 2009 report put it, is for playing in “any weather, any distance”.

What We Play For

Concerts, outdoor events and private celebrations.

Concerts

Formal concerts of two halves, with music chosen for the occasion: film music, musicals, Geordie nights, the 1940s, music from around the world and Last Night of the Proms.

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Galas, Shows & Festivals

Agricultural shows, galas and festivals, from the Glendale, Allendale and Slaley shows to the Durham Miners’ Gala, Seghill Gala and Bedlington Festival.

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Parks & Private Events

Bandstands and parks, fun days, garden parties, birthdays and anniversaries, with music that carries outdoors.

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Concerts

A full concert is usually two halves of around 50 minutes, with the music chosen to suit the occasion. The band can also give a joint concert with another ensemble or a guest soloist: in 2023 it shared a concert with Backworth Male Voice Choir.

Out and about

Over the years the band has played Heaton Park and Jesmond Dene in Newcastle, Richardson Dees Park in Wallsend, the bandstands at Saltwell Park in Gateshead and Hexham, North Shields Fish Quay and Royal Quays Marina, lifeboat days, and shows and galas across the region. Recent engagements include Beamish, the Shiremoor Treat, the Burnhope Centenary Gala and the Durham Miners’ Gala.

Choosing a line-up

The full band, around 25 players, gives the complete brass band sound for concerts, galas, parades and big outdoor events. A smaller ensemble of nine or ten players suits churches, receptions and venues with less space. Other line-ups may be possible depending on the occasion and players’ availability, so just ask.

Booking

Every booking is priced individually, depending on the event, the location, the music and the number of players. The band is amateur and self-funding, so every fee goes back into instruments, music and the Training Band. Tell us about your event through the enquiry form and we will come back to you with a quote.